In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump took aim at the first American pope’s stance on global conflicts, accusing him of adopting positions that undermine US interests.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote, adding that he did not want “a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump’s remarks came two days after Pope Leo XIV, in his strongest words yet, denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran and called on political leaders to stop and negotiate peace.
The US President took aim at the pontiff’s criticism of American military actions, including operations in Venezuela, which Trump defended as necessary to curb drug trafficking and criminal activity.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our country,” he wrote.
Trump also objected to the Pope’s criticism of his presidency, framing his actions as part of his electoral mandate.
“And I don’t want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump said, while also claiming to have delivered “record low numbers in crime” and “the greatest stock market in history”.
In a striking claim, Trump said the Pope, who is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, which is the largest Christian church in the world, was elevated to the position because of his American identity and would not have been in the Vatican had Trump not been president.
“He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” he said.
The president went on to accuse the pontiff of aligning with political opponents and urged him to change course.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use common sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a great Pope, not a politician,” Trump wrote, adding that the stance was “hurting the Catholic Church”.
On Saturday, Pope Leo XIV condemned Trump’s rhetoric and threats against Iran as “truly unacceptable,” and called for restraint and reflection amid escalating hostilities.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” Leo said in an address. Though he did not directly name Trump or the US administration, the direction was apparent.
Praying for peace, Leo had said, was a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” to build instead the Kingdom of God where there are no swords, drones or “unjust profit”.
“It is here that we find a bulwark against that delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive,” he said. “Even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.”
Pope Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.
– Ends
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